Willie Magee

Willie Magee and his brother Tom were two of Belfast’s leading racing cyclists in the early part of the 20th century. Willie was the more successful of the pair and made headlines in his early days in the saddle by reaching the final of the quarter-mile race at the Championship of Ireland at Belfast in 1903. He would go on and win the one-mile Irish title in 1904 and 1905. Willie started life as a member of the Commercial Sports Club before a move to Phoenix CC and then, in 1908, to Rosario CC. Having struggled with a leg injury in 1907, he showed signs of recovery in the spring of Olympic year, 1908, when he won the half-mile title at the Ulster CC sports meeting before setting sail for London where he competed in the sprint and 5,000 metres.